Cute!

I must say that Gabby is the most stylish little girl I know!   Everyone always loves her outfits and say she dresses like an adult and not in goofy baby stuff. I rarely buy her dresses, but love the ones she has.  Aunt Molly bought her about 5 summer dresses, and Aunt Kay sent us a really chic faux wrap dress that Gabby is just growing into.  The purple wrap dress was a huge hit at PT Tots this week, so I had to give Aunt Kay and her European shopping credit.  With polka dot tights and boots it made the cutest outfit.  

After grocery shopping this week, buying a ton but getting home and feeling like we had no food, I was fixing lunch for Gabby and I.  I had opened the vegetable drawer and got out a cucumber.  Gabby grabbed out the raw head of broccoli, sat down and started munching away on it (I had to snap a picture of it b/c who else does this?).  

The past few days Gabby is getting interested in anatomy.  It started out with bottom, and has led to discussions of what is "down there".  I debated weather or not to write this down and put it out on the web, for anyone to see but it is just too silly not to.  It is now known to Gabby that girls have a vagina aka "gina".  Of course that was followed by what dad has.... nope he doesn't have a gina, so logically Gabby states that "dad has freckles!"  I think this comes from a book we have that talks about it being okay to be different, its okay to have freckles.  We talk about Dad having freckles but mom doesn't.  So since mom has gina, but dad doesn't he must have freckles!  

Halloween!

What a difference a year makes.  Halloween last year was me trying to make it something special for Gabby, just so she could experience a first halloween.  This year Gabby was excited about everything and started talking about trick-or-treating at least a month in advance, and pumpkins have been the ultimate coolness! 

  Clay's schedule for duty has been the worst possible, we had to do everything without him.  The week before Halloween the base had a carnival, with some games, a fun walk that had 5 stops to trick or treat at, and LOTS of people.  Gabby dressed up in her lady bug costume, and we had a great time with good friends.  She was scared by the people passing out candy at first, and then got really happy about it all b/c she got CANDY! 

The pumpkin that has been rolled, pushed and carried around the house for the past few weeks finally met its fate of becoming a jack-o-lantern!  We carved it into a cat, and Gabby thinks it is the coolest thing ever.  The first morning after we had carved it she saw it out the window on the balcony and started jumping around "kitty pumfin".  Every night we put a candle in it.  

Halloween day we woke up happy, and had lots of fun things to do.  The ship group hosted a party for the kids during the day.  Gabby went dressed as a ballerina, wearing her brand new ballet shoes.  She had a great time seeing all the decorations, like the spiders.  We decorated a trick-or-treat bag and a bracelet.  We had to leave the party a bit early to come for nap.  Within 5 minutes of being home she was asleep!  

We started our trick-or-treating nice and early, going with a family that lives in our building.  The very first house we went to had someone dressed in a full Gorilla costume, at first it was frightening... but then she was okay with it and happy.  She quickly grasped the concept of going up to doors with the little girl we were with, saying "trick-or-treat, happy halloween!"  She sounded so clear and like a big girl!  It was so much fun watching her full of joy running from house to house.  Our bag ripped and some teenage boys scared her with their costumes so we decided to call it a night.  We came back home and handed out candy to those that came.... mostly Japanese that were sponsored to come on base for the occasion. Every time the doorbell rang, Gabby ran to the door saying "who dat, who der?"  The evening ended with a little bit of crying b/c she wanted to eat candy but had already had some.  Clay got home in the morning from a long night of being the police man on the ship and ensuring everyone that needed to was back by their curfew, Gabby showed him all her candy and told him all about our fun 2nd Halloween!

"Go Baseball Game!"

   A few weeks back I had the idea that we needed to get to a Japanese baseball game before we leave.  Clayton has been to an MLB Allstar game vs the Japanese, but neither of us in over 4 years had been to the local team, about 45 minutes away.  Clay figured out it was due to the fact that this is the first summer he has ever spent in Japan, normally the ship is gone.  We tried on Saturday to buy tickets at the mall here in Yokosuka, but they didn't have any. The man assured us there would be plenty available at game time if we went to the stadium.  Apparently the Yokohama Baystars aren't doing that great this season.  

   Without any directions except for what a friend had told us we headed up on the train to Yokohama.  We found the right train line to transfer to and found the stadium easily.  Before game time there were bands playing, with fans cheering and chanting. We tried to buy tickets at the first ticket booth we saw, turns out they split the stadium into home vs away and you have to buy the tickets at your side.  We cheered for Yokohama, the other half of the crowd cheered for the Hiroshima Carp.  Both sides had their own make shift bands and team clothes.  

  We didn't know realize how small the stadium was so bought the more expensive seats.  We were 6 rows up from the field on the first base side.  Part way into the game it started to rain, we talked about leaving but waited it out and the sprinkles stopped and the sun came back out.      One of my favorite people watching parts of the game was watching the beer girls, in goofy little outfits with their money folded intricately around their middle finger.  The creepy man in front of us had 8 beers, and would only buy them from one special girl!  They had bento boxes you could buy, rice and sushi being sold into the crowd instead of hotdogs like American baseball.  One of the best things they sold at the game was edamame, Gabby's absolute favorite snack!  She ate an entire package by herself.  

     We had a great time, and loved the new experience.  Even though we couldn't understand much of what was being cheered or announced, sports are pretty universal.  Clay did buy a noise maker thing that you clap with, Gabby instead uses it as a funnel to yell into, cheering "Go Baseball Game!"  

New Gabby Things!

   The past few months my little girl has been growing up even more than I could have imagined.  She is into many new things, including dress up, purses, barbies, dinosaurs, dancing, pumpkins, oh and things like not listening and "run away!"  as she likes to call it.  Most things are fun, but then there are the times where she tries to test me and refuses to listen... such as today at the store when she wanted to touch everything!  

    Dress up is something that she likes to do only occasionally but is becoming more fun, like tonight she put on a pink tulle dress and pretended to be a ballerina.  Ballet is another thing she has gotten into lately, no clue where she picked it up but she dances and talks about it and now we have two new books to go along with the theme.  A few weeks back dress up consisted of putting on a fun dress, necklaces and lipslick (lip gloss).   Boots go with everything, rain ones are even better!  It helps that we now have new frog rain boots and little ugg type boots.  

    Gabby has two purses, first is her Tatiana bag- pink and usually filled with goldfish crackers for snack.  Her new purse I bought to tease Molly, who has been coveting a giraffe print bag.  Gabby is just always up on style so she has her very own giraffe bag!  

     I wasn't going to buy a Barbie quite yet, but I needed some new small toys for our long airplane ride to NY.  Gabby was first introduced to a Barbie at stroller class when an older girl had one, but wouldn't let Gabby play with it (she was very intrigued by it).  We have Damatina, Latino (fake brand) Barbie... we have re-named her Jenny From The Block, I couldn't help it with the outfit she came with (knee boots, a poncho and a large floppy hat).  In NY we got "princess" Barbie who is really a ballerina.  On sale I found beach Barbie who is wearing a swimsuit and has sunglasses.  That is our collection, and trying to keep track of all the little things they come with is laughable.  

   One thing that has not changed is her LOVE for books!  We could spend the entire day reading all of her books and that would make her totally happy!  Even though we have a large number of books, reading 30 or so a day we go through the same ones frequently.  Gabby can tell you just about every word of every book.  I think the girl has a photographic memory b/c I really am amazed by things she knows.  Just this week we bought a bundle of new books at the second hand store (cheap and necessary b/c the NEX rarely gets new books in).  After reading the Clifford book a total of 3 times she knew each page!  Another thing about the books is that become scattered all over the house.  While I was on the phone this week she sat quietly and took each book out of her book case, looking at each one.  A total of 3 books were left IN, all the rest were in a pile on the floor!  

   Well here are some pictures to enjoy of our sweet Gabby Jean doing some of her new favorite things.

    Oh and a few funny things that she said today.  At lunch she had ham, after eating what was on her plate she had this short conversation with herself "Where the ham go?"  "In the BELLY!"  For dinner I had cut up cucumbers and put rice wine vinegar on them, Clayton asked her if she was going to eat cucumbers with vinegar.  Gabby signed drink and said "Drink Vinegar!"  She proceeded to eat about an entire cucumber soaked in vinegar, then drank the vinegar off the plate telling us, spicy! It is funny that we were trying to get her to eat the pizza and not just cucumber!  I swear the girl will eat almost anything!  

4 years!

Today marks my FOUR year anniversary of living in Japan!  I am amazed that I have lived here that long, but it also doesn't seem like that much time.  It is crazy to think about all that has happened since we moved here!  The best and worst thing about living here (and anywhere with the Navy I suppose) is the friendships you make.  I have made incredible friendships with many people, but everyone eventually moves away at some point.  I have solid friendships with people I met when I first got here, and am building great relationships with people I have only recently met!   I will miss Japan dearly when we do end up moving, it really has become HOME!  I am trying to all that I love and enjoy here while I have the chance.   So KOMPAI, and CHEERS to 4 years in Yoko.

What we saw...

NYC

My Girl

Just a quick picture update of the sweet Gabby Jean.  She is growing daily and we have the best conversations. Here are a few pictures of the past few weeks, at Clay's baseball game, eating curry out in town, and eating rice (rice wrapped in seaweed, with tuna in the middle), her first time with painted nails (she still is overly excited about them). Enjoy!

Cooking

I feel like I always get in ruts about what to cook for dinner.  Lately I have been trying to make new things, or get new inspiration for something different!  I decided that taking pictures of what I make is fun and helps me put more thought into what I prepare.  Some of the tasty things we have had lately are: 

*homemade spinach pesto (Clay was on duty, he doesn't like pesto. We brought it to the pool for lunch the next day and it was a huge hit!)

*Flank Steak, slow cooked with a rub

*Steamed vegetables! A 5.5 lb bag from Costco of Normandy Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, yellow carrots and carrots) totally delicious!

*Posole, a mexican soup. I used chicken to be healthier, and had the chili sauce frozen from when I made it with my neighbor (not sure I could make that on my own), hominy and topped with cabbage and lemon.

*Smores!!! I haven't been camping in 8 years, so I got the bright idea to make them under the broiler in the oven. I am totally hooked, not a good thing either. I used some butterscotch chips too!  

Sunshine & Moonbeam

Earlier this week Gabrielle started talking about names, a lot!  She says "name" and wants to know or will tell you who people are. She now says her long name "Gabb-e-L"  it's pretty cute.  Her babies have always been mostly nameless, except for a few here and there.  Gabby and Clayton were playing baby dolls (yes, he does. he even wraps them in blankets) and she kept saying "Sun, Sun".  She was naming her baby!  Clayton decided that if one baby (they are twins, came together. 1 pink, 1 purple) was Sun the  other had to be Moon.  Sun and Moon are two of her constant companions, and she does call them by name!  Lately she wants her two babies to do everything with her.  Both must come with us in the car, she puts them in a stroller to push around, takes them to bed- yes she MUST  have both, if she wakes up with only one she will cry "two babies, two babies".  Two babies are a little dirty looking, but with cloth bodies and clothes that don't come off I don't wash them that frequently.  Oh and the babies are coming in handy, she is much more eager to let you brush her teeth if afterwards the babies can have their faces brushed!  

The only recent picture I can find has 3 babies, but you get the idea! Like her fake smile?!?!

AVE

In the last year I have started doing more shopping out in town.  I have always done some shopping off base, but not on a weekly basis or anything.  AVE is a store just a few minutes down the road, and I find it has the best deals on produce and is easy for us to go there- we can park at the store so we don't have to worry about parking on base, then walking and carrying our groceries home. They are open from 10-7 and they don't do very much re-stocking during the afternoon so if you go late there isn't much selection.  We usually go right before nap or after.

   The first thing we do when we get to AVE is go visit the puppies (Inu) and Kittens (nek0).  Gabrielle LOVES this part, she tells all of them HI and goes back and forth between all the windows to visit them.  After pulling her away from the animals and saying goodbye to them we go to the other side of the store- the food side.  The produce is so sweet, clean and amazing here. I don't know how people buy it on base and not locally!  They only take cash, and I normally only take 5000yen  with me ($50) but that covers it and we have money left.  Last week I took a picture of our purchases after we got home. With Clayton home I had to buy more so this trip cost about $45.  We bought: 3 green apples (best apples you will ever have!) # red apples, 4 peaches, 5 cucumbers, 3 carrots, 1 pineapple, 2 gold kiwi, 2 bags fresh green beans, 1 honeydew melon, 1/2 watermelon, bunch of bananas, apple juice, pineapple juice, piece of salmon, 2 containers of prepared edimame (our absolute favorite) and two ice cream treats! 

  Oh and I do buy more vegetables, but those I do tend to get on base. AVE sells like 3 pieces of asparagus as a bunch! Plus most of the stuff I don't know exactly what it is or how you would eat it! Today's trip was only $30.   

10K

Yes, it is true- I ran my first 10 K race this past Saturday! The stroller class was under the impression that it would be a 5K route that you would do twice. It wasn't which was really nice and it pushed me harder to run the whole thing.  Does your brain ever play tricks on you, like totally switch times on you?  Well I thought the race started at 9am, the stroller group would meet up about 8:30 to get ready for it. I mosey out of the house at 8:25, stop and talk to the neighbor, look at all the stuff being set up for Friendship day (open base= thousands of Japanese come on base and partake in all sorts of activities, food, dancing, firework celebration).  I get to the start and no one is there- the people working it know me b/c they are my bosses for PT Tots.  They say "Sarah, you're LATE! Just go, you don't need a number."  Me, "was it at 8:30???? Where do I go"  So I ended up starting the race all by myself,  was 7 minutes late, and didn't know the route- I just took off running!  I caught a few people I know, picked up a companion (a 7 year old boy who rides his bike with his mom during stroller class, he ditched his mom to ride with me).  The reader board at the middle school said the temp was 92* and it felt like that plus some!  I finished the race, with the time clock saying 1:12, but take into account my late start I finished it in one hour and 5 minutes.  Not the greatest mile time, but I still am proud of it.  I didn't even feel sore afterwards!  This takes me closer to my goal of running 10 miles, 10K equals out to 6.2 miles.  

Been Busy!

So I had every intention of being a good blogger, but time has gotten away from me and it has been over a month.  It has been a fun and been keeping us busy.  The most exciting thing to happen in July was visitors!  My mom and my 14 year old nephew came to see Gabby and I.  It was my mom's THIRD visit, but Josh's first (he has his very first passport and stamp now).  We tried to do all the fun things we could think of, but July heat and humidity in Japan sure makes you want to do nothing but sit in the a/c.   Some of the places we visited, Kamakura, Sankeien Garden, Disney Sea, Tokyo and the surrounding area of Yokosuka.  What excitement there was, two protests outside the gates (both of which we somehow ended up in the middle of) and a suspicious package that evacuated and blocked off part of base!  

   We shopped, ate, laughed, talked, and had a good family visit.  Let me just say that 14 year old boys are not always enthusiastic about hanging out with their Grandma, Aunt, and baby cousin for an entire two weeks in a foreign country.  

   The way the ship works, and our luck- well the schedule changed a million times and the date it came home got pushed off just as you let yourself get excited about it coming home.  Finally, after nearly two months Clay came home!  It has been a week and a half, but the schedule of duty and work and the ship going out for a few days has really only allowed us to spend a few days together (two days total, plus a few hours after he gets off work).  We are looking forward to this weekend, although there is a basketball tournament we "have" to go to!  Yes this is what life is like married to a sailor who LOVES sports!  Tomorrow night is a baseball game, I just am going to have to try to keep Gabby out of the dirt b/c last week resulted in her covered from her head to toes in DIRT! She loved every second of it too!

Pictures to come later, blogger is not letting me upload any now!

New Bike!

For quite some time Gabby has been crazy about bikes, she points them out whenever see them- which in Japan is all the time!  We have to visit the bikes when we go to one of the stores, all the bikes are too big but she sits on them and loves it.  I found a bike that would work perfect for us.  It is more like a plastic tricycle but it can convert three different ways.  I have the handle on it now so I can push it (or she can) until she actually learns to pedal (or can reach them better.)   We have been on the lookout for a helmet, but all that seems to be available are ones for big headed kids, I mean the 3+ crowd.  Today on our adventure (more to come on that when I have energy) off base I found one that pretty much fits her curly haired head.  Gabby was excited as can be, which is thrilling b/c other kids I know refuse to wear helmets.  We took the bike to the elementary school across from our house and had a pretty good time. Our neighbors who are moving next week joined us so that was even better.  I also brought a new bubble gun that all the kids went wild over. So here are pictures off all things having to do with the new bike in our life!  Oh and we do having something else new in our life, a goldfish we have named Dorothy (yes, just like Elmo's fish.)  The neighbors that are moving gave her to us and Gabby is so excited that she HUGS the fishbowl, and also wants to feed her numerous times a day!  

Sunday Scene 2

This week I took a friend out and about on "Blue St." This friend of mine hasn't done all that much in the year she has lived here. It is my mission to get her out and have her experience a little bit of what Japan has to offer.  Our first stop was the Gap, but that is just b/c we both have little kids that are pretty stylish.  We walked around and I showed her a few of the places I go, and eat.  

We were hungry and she was wanting soup.  I don't go out for soup that often, so I don't know very many places to go.  We headed to Ten Ho, a soup shop that I have been to a handful of times in the past.  One thing we needed that Ten Ho had was enough room for two strollers and a place to sit with the kids.  We ordered, and got the same thing: Wonton soup.  It was full of noodles, green onion, half an egg, sliced pork (pretty sure that is what it is) and wontons of course.  The bowls are HUGE, and more than I could eat.  We also got a side of rice for the kids to split, if you haven't heard this already Gabby LOVES rice and asks for it by name.  Oh and the best part of our meal was the gyoza- which are pretty much pot stickers.  

  The meal was good, but ended up being messy due to Gabby insisting on feeding herself.  Yes she is little Ms Independent when it comes to eating, I no longer get to hold onto the spoon.  The Japanese soup spoons are great for holding a lot of liquid, lets just say by the end of it there was probably more soup ON Gabby than in her belly!  Little girl also was very interested in trying to use chopsticks too, there were noodles all over the place but at least she tried!  

Walking back to base we went through the Mikasa walkway and I stopped at one of the little shops to get some fresh produce since we were low.  Sometimes I feel like the amount I take home costs so little!  A miniature watermelon, 4 carrots, a bag of edamame (uncooked so I had to try and do it), 4 bananas and a medium sized zucchini. All of that cost me just about $8.  

By the end of the night Gabby was tired out from our busy Sunday.  That morning I took her out on a run, then the park and after her nap we went to a birthday party for a boy who turned 4.  Even though she was SO tired a bath was very necessary!  Japanese soup from her head to her belly button was not something that smelled the greatest!  No big plans for this week, and the way it is raining tonight along with the thunderstorms we will have to see where we adventure to next.